How Many Monstickers To Your Heart?
by CandC1988
Summary: Well, its a onetime shot for Spinelli & TJ, I just love this couple.


Disclaimer: I do not own Recess or any of those characters.

Authors Note: I don't really remember if TJ lost all of his monstickers, but I think they just moved onto the next fad, but if he lost all of them he had a secret stash. LOL. This is my only my second fic and this is my first one shot.

*How Many Monstickers to Your Heart?*

"Hey guys, guess what I found?" TJ asked as he joined Spinelli, Vince, Gretchen, Mikey, and Gus at their usual lunch table on the front lawn.

Today was their last day of their senior year. Tomorrow they would graduate from high school and move onto their own separate lives in college. Gretchen, who had remained a genius throughout high school, was going to go to Oxford in England to study nuclear engineering. Vince, who had become a star athlete in all sports, but especially in basketball, was going to the local college to play basketball, but after his freshmen year he was determined to have a pro team pick him up. Gus, who had now grown to be about six foot five, had decided to follow in his father's footsteps and he was joining the army. Mikey was going to take a year off from school and tour the world, especially places lived in by famous poets and composers. Then he was going to settle down in Vienna and become a poet/composer. TJ and Spinelli weren't really sure what they were going to do with the rest of their lives, but both had decided to join Vince at the local college for their freshman year, and see how things happened from there.

"Your graduation cap?" Vince guessed, but knowing that wasn't it since he had helped TJ look for it just yesterday and there was no way it was in that pit of a room.

"Not yet," TJ said, with a frown, "Any other guesses? Spinelli? Gretchen? Mikey? Gus?"

"Tell us or I'll beat you up," Spinelli threatened. Spinelli had grown a lot over the years, had matured. Yet, her impatience still caused to her make the threat of kicking your butt if you made her mad.

"Fine, I found some of my old monstickers," TJ said triumphantly, setting an open box in front of them. Everybody looked at him blankly, he then continued, "You know, from fourth grade."

As the others started to recognize the cards that had turned TJ into a monster. Spinelli just picked up one of the cards and held it in her hand, flipping it over. 

***

Fourth Grade

Spinelli sat on her porch, looking up at the stars. She had wanted to watch wrestling, but her mom had told her if she was going to watch any TV she was going to watch a beauty pageant. So, Spinelli had taken the mature route of things and ran out of the room screaming.

As she sat there, trying to come up with a plan to get the remote from her mother and change it to wrestling she heard footsteps approaching. She diverted her gaze to directly in front of her to TJ, with the hat he had swapped for his baseball hat.

"Hey Teej," Spinelli greeted.

"Hey Spinelli," TJ said, sitting down on her front porch by her. She looked back up at the stars.

"Whatcha doing here?" Spinelli asked carefully. She and the others had been worried about TJ and his empire of monstickers, but he just wouldn't let it go, now it was just making Spinelli extremely ticked off at TJ.

"I came to see if I was really taking this monsticker thing to far," TJ honestly said. He looked at Spinelli, who looked pained to say what she was gonna say next.

"Teej, you're trying to take everybody's monstickers so that nobody can buy anything," Spinelli pointed out, "Now, can you figure it out if you're taking it to far?"

"But, I'm saving up for something," TJ protested, "I want something big. And I don't know how many monsticker's it'll cost. It might be priceless."

"Yeah, but whatever it is might end up costing you your friends," Spinelli said.

"Spinelli, I've got another question for you," TJ admitted.

"Go ahead, you know I'm all ears," Spinelli bravely said.

"How many monstickers to your heart?" TJ asked. Spinelli suddenly took in a sharp breath and looked at TJ.

"What did you just say?" she asked, as if she was threatened.

"How many monstickers to your heart?" TJ repeated himself, then added, "Spinelli, I like you. I don't really know if its just fourth grade crush type like, or if I could actually fall in love with you someday, but I'll never know until I have that first special relationship that you can use as a basis for your other relationships. I really like you Spin, and I want you to be the person I have that first special relationship with, it might develop into something more, later, but right now ...,"

"We're in the fourth grade," Spinelli said, "You're too young to be thinking about any of the stuff you just said, plus its way too mature for any fourth grader."

"I know," TJ admitted, "My brother helped me with some of it."

"Teej, we can't do this," Spinelli said, "I don't want to break up our friendship, plus we're too young. We would be made fun of. People would talk. And I have a reputation that I do not plan on losing soon."

"But Spinelli, I ...," TJ started, but Spinelli interrupted.

"I'm sorry Teej," Spinelli apologized, "but I think this discussion is over."

***

Present Day

Spinelli stopped flipping the card in her hand and put it back in the box. She could feel Gretchen's and TJ's eyes on her, watching her every move. Spinelli knew that TJ was probably trying to decide whether she could remember that night that had changed their friendship forever or if she was just flipping the card around. She also knew that Gretchen was probably trying to figure out what these monstickers symbolized in TJ's and Spinelli's almost-existent relationship.

After her and TJ had had that conversation in the fourth grade Spinelli often regretted it. Back then she had had a crush on TJ, but she didn't want him, or anyone else but Gretchen to know, just for the facts that she told TJ about why they couldn't be together. Her reputation had been at stake, along with their friendship.

But after grade school she had found another boy and TJ had found a girl. After that came many more girlfriends and boyfriends, yet between boyfriends Spinelli always found herself thinking of TJ. But she didn't dwell on it for to long.

Not that the monstickers had been brought back to view Spinelli had a rush of emotions and flashbacks that showed her why she had liked TJ in the first place. So, instead of accepting these feelings and emotions Spinelli quickly stood up. The only way to deal with this was to get away from the stickers. Far away.

"I've got to go talk to Mr. Laluas before lunch is over," Spinelli muttered, speaking of their principal. Gretchen looked at her best friend with an understanding look, not quite understanding the significance of the monstickers in TJ's and Spinelli's almost, but not quite, existent relationship. Vince also looked at her, a weird expression on his face, as if he understood TJ's feelings for this girl, but wasn't quite sure about her feelings for him. Gus and Mikey just simply accepted the story for what it was. But TJ quickly looked away from Spinelli, as if he was hurt by her words.

***

TJ looked worriedly after Spinelli's back. He then turned and saw Gretchen and Vince looking at him, both with understanding looks on their faces. Vince knew about TJ's crush on Spinelli since the fourth grade, but TJ had never told Vince about the monstickers incident, and he knew Spinelli had never told Gretchen at all. His best bet was Gretchen knew that Spinelli had feelings for him, yet TJ didn't want to put himself out there again if he was only going to get shot down once more. 

***

Gretchen and Vince sat in two of the chairs that had been set on the lawn for the graduation the next day. The two of them had decided to meet to discuss their equal worries about TJ and Spinelli.

"Look, we all know that TJ and Spinelli like each other, and have for awhile, but they just won't admit it," Gretchen pointed out.

"I think TJ is afraid of getting rejected, yet it would be the first time in his life that he was truly afraid of this kinda thing, or at least this afraid," Vince said.

"Yeah, maybe something happened those two aren't telling us about," Gretchen said thoughtfully.

"I really don't know, maybe I could try talking to TJ again," Vince added.

"Well, I really can't talk to Spinelli anymore about it, she refuses to listen," Gretchen admitted, "But I do have a good plan."

***

Vince rang TJ's doorbell the next day at noon. Two hours from now their graduation was to occur. TJ appeared at the door with very messed up hair, but graduation cap in hand.

"Hey Vince," TJ greeted, inviting him in.

"Hey Teej, I see you found your hat," Vince pointed out.

"Oh yeah, it was in my brother's old room under the bed in his old arts and crafts box," TJ said, sounding as if that wasn't weird at all, then he asked, "So, what's up Vince? Please tell me you're not worried about graduation."

"Are you kidding?" Vince asked, "I'm more ready for graduation than anything in the world, actually Teej, I'm here to talk about Spinelli."

"Geez Vince, today is our last day together, its not gonna happen," TJ said, a little annoyed at Vince's constant pursue of the subject.

"You guys are going off to the same college," Vince pointed out, "There's gotta be reason for you not telling her."

"Fine, you want the truth?" TJ asked a bit exasperated.

"Yes, I want to know the truth," Vince asked, getting annoyed.

"I already told her how I felt once before," TJ admitted, "It was during the monsticker obsession..,"

***

Spinelli looked out the window. Two hours until graduation. Gretchen was giving the valedictorian speech, which didn't come as a surprise to anyone. But what really had surprised most people was Spinelli had managed to be able to graduate with honors. The local college had been more than willing to accept her, saying that sooner or later she would decide on a profession for good. And Spinelli felt that for once in her life everything was perfect.

Except for TJ. She had avoided him the rest of the afternoon, including while they had been practicing for graduation. It really helped that they were in alphabetical order and she didn't sit anywhere near him.

Spinelli had decided yesterday after leaving the lunch table that she had nothing to worry about. Of course, her and TJ were going to the same college, but she could avoid him or just be his friend. She didn't have to even think about TJ as anything more than a friend. Of course, that would require not thinking at all.

***

"She turned you down?" Vince asked, astonished as TJ finished his story.

"Yeah," TJ said quietly, "I don't want to go through that kind of rejection again."

"But Teej," Vince protested, "We were in the fourth grade, you know how concerned Spinelli was about her reputation then."

"This is different," TJ said, "She flat turned me down."

***

"Now I would like to present the class valedictorian, Miss Gretchen Grundler," Mr. Laluas introduced Gretchen. She gracefully walked from her seat up to the podium and took a deep breath.

"Hello friends, family, and fellow graduates," Gretchen started off, "Welcome to the 2010 graduation. Well, as I was writing this speech I was thinking about who I was going to miss most in this class and what about them I was going to miss. All of my friends have special traits to me, traits that can help you succeed in life. First, one of my friends has courage beyond anything. He puts a lot of work into being who he is and what he has become. He expects to make something of himself and despite all the odds tries his hardest. Second, another friend has patience. He loves the world and everything around him. He spends most of his time making peace with others, and he is slow to judge and slow to anger. He is also a very forgiving person. Third, another friend of mine has determination. He took all this energy he had and put it into what he really loves and he looks to his determination to be the best at what he truly loves. And with this determination he became the best at what he does. Fourth, my last guy friend has a special leadership ability. He leads our group into many escapades, yet he always cleans up after all the messes he creates. He's a good friend and very loyal to all of us. He's been the leader of our group since at least kindergarten and he tries hard to be friends with all and lead all. Last, but not least, is my best friend, who has an incredible quality that not many people possess, high self-esteem. She believes in herself, sometimes a little too much, yet most of the time she realizes when she needs help. She isn't afraid to be who she is and what she wants to be. So, as I stand before you I say that in the future we should all try and possess these qualities that my friends each possess of one or more of the following, courage, patience, determination, leadership, and high self-esteem."

Gretchen then took a deep breath, here came the hardest part of her speech, "But I think the most important characteristic anybody can have is a love so deep for another person that you would do anything for them. And when that person loves you in the same way back then you have something really very special. I don't know many people that have this kind of love, yet I think we should all, above all other characteristics, try and find someone who we can share this love with. And for those of you who know and already experience this love, don't let this opportunity pass you by."

Everybody sat in silence as Gretchen finished her speech. Then Vince stood up and clapped. Followed by Gus, Mikey, Spinelli, and TJ until everybody in the auditorium was giving Gretchen a standing ovation.

***

Spinelli looked up at the stars, unwittingly sitting in the same place Gretchen had been sitting last night. Spinelli frowned as she thought of the last part of Gretchen's speech. She knew that Gretchen had been trying to give her one last message about telling TJ. Yet, she still couldn't do it. As she sat there she heard footsteps behind her. She didn't even turn to know it was TJ.

"So, Spin, how many monstickers to your heart?" TJ asked cautiously, stopping right behind her. She turned and looked at him.

"Teej ..," she started to say, then stopped to compose herself. She stood up and walked over to him and gave him a hug, "All I need is your heart in exchange for my heart."

TJ looked a little surprised, but then he regained his composure and said, "Ya know, Gretchen's last part of her speech was about us."

"I know," Spinelli admitted, "She's been trying to convince me since the fourth grade to tell you how I feel."

"Wait, you liked me in the fourth grade?" TJ asked, a confused expression coming on his face, "How come you turned me down then?"

"Well, I guess my reputation was a little more important to me then feelings I had for anybody," Spinelli said, "You know what? We're missing the party."

"You really want to go to that party?" TJ asked, surprised at Spinelli's late wanting of being popular.

"Nah, I just want an excuse to say in your face Gretchen, we did end up telling each other how we feel," Spinelli admitted.

"So, after all this time, you do still care about your reputation?" TJ asked, kind of disappointed in the girl he was in love with.

"Well, kinda," Spinelli said, disappointed in herself, "But also because I want an excuse to dance with you."

"Wait here," TJ demanded. He then went up to the podium on the stage and turned on a switch. Suddenly, music started playing from all directions.

"Come on," TJ said as he jumped off the stage, holding his hand out to Spinelli, "May I have this dance?"

"Always," Spinelli answered classically, stepping into his arms and looking upwards as their lips met for a kiss, less awkward than their first kiss in the fourth grade.


End file.
